Leaders and managers are different roles. A leader has a vision and personal influence to convince others to achieve that vision. A manager controls the day-to-day activities and resource utilization of the company. They may be the same person, but play a different role to fit circumstances. More specifically, what are the top three traits of an effective leader?
1.Vision
The most important thing for the leader is to create a clearly articulated vision of success, unambiguous measures of how the team will know when they get there, the ability to enroll others in that vision and provide effective coaching and support throughout the journey. This takes insight, intelligence and the ability to see opportunities that others cannot see in a way that is easily articulated and understood, express a clear vision consistently and in terms suitable for the audience (Board, management, and all staff); - Establishing and communicating a high-level idea, game plan.
2. Influence
This can be derived from wisdom, charisma, rewards, expert power (people respect your expertise), referent power (your title) or coercion (force or threats).
A: Mentor: Leaders must be a mentor! Mentors give without thought of return and are dedicated to seeing their staff succeed. They are a role model or coach – who supports his/her team Integrity.
B: Trust: A leader is someone that you trust. Trust - Trust the team, channelize energies, give people free-hand to think and provide solutions, nurture/mentor people. To be followed by co-workers because they want to, not because they have to.
C: Empathetic engagement - listening, challenging and concluding positively in terms that the individual/audience understood, at any level of the organization; knowing his/her team upon strengths, weaknesses, goals, and objectives. Ability to see and treat people as people, not as objects. Many people unknowingly work and live within their own boxes and oftentimes fail to see co-workers, bosses, and subordinates as people but objects, and in doing so fail to see and hear their viewpoints which cloud the judgment as leaders.
D. Transparency - When there is a hidden agenda, the people that work for you become suspicious. Recognizes team members for the value they bring. Commitment to your people - a boss can be committed to meeting a goal, managing a budget, etc., but a leader is committed to the people they lead.
E: Learning mind: They understand that learning can come from anywhere and are not afraid to let their staff members teach them something new! Ability to be a follower. True leaders always know when it is time to be a follower. In addition, they must not be afraid to let others shine. In other words, the best leaders inspire, encourage, and engage their teams in projects and tasks that push them and then provide the support necessary to allow their staff to be successful! Inspires others to be their very best and invests in their success "A leader is best when people barely know he exists when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves." - Lao Tsu
3. Execution
It takes courage with the ability to take action and make swift decisions even unpopular ones.
A. Insight: Being insightful at making decisions becomes game-changers for the organization.
B. Communication: Immensely persuasive in getting others to align with the mission and build the team - picking the right people, garnering their strengths, and protecting/elevating at appropriate times.
C. Problem Solving - Resolve problems/issues before they become big, address them and move forward.
D. Innovation: To champion the innovative use of technology in the workplace. Also, cultivate the culture of innovation: In other words, clear direction is critical yet it is also extremely important to create the right culture and behaviors - without these even the most intelligent of bosses become unstuck.
E. Humility: To live by the golden rule, with humility. This includes giving their time and energy to help others freely with sincerity without expecting anything in return.
The leaders are the person that knows their company's Why, and their own personal Why. And highly-effective leaders get respect, not because of their titles, but because of their vision and influence; insight and wisdom; ability and humility.
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